Posts from ‘Smart’
Nissan Versa
For those who crave a new car but are on a tight budget—and who isn’t, these days?—we present the 10 most affordable cars for 2013. Of course, it’s not always smart to bite at the lowest price. Some of these low MSRPs are teaser rates. For example, the base Ford Fiesta doesn’t even include a radio, and the base Smart ForTwo lacks several utterly basic features—a backseat, for instance. For more on these 10 bargain-basement specials, click the name of each vehicle, which will take you to the car’s review page on Consumer Guide Automotive’s website.
1) Nissan Versa
Base MSRP: $11,990
With Automatic: $12,990
Class: Compact Car
The 2011 Versa sedan started $9,990, and the ’12 models began at $10,990. Now the price is up to $11,990, but it’s still the lowest-priced car you can buy—at least for the sedan; the hatchback starts at $14,380. Unlike the 2012 model, the base 2013 Versa sedan actually comes with a radio. However, you can’t get power door locks or power windows unless you move up to the SV trim, which starts at $14,990. Except for its low-budget interior (lots of hard plastic), Versa earns solid scores across the board.
4 Cars That Are Scary to Drive
A Smart ForTwo pursues a Dodge Viper.
Smart ForTwo
It may look as cute as a trick-or-treater, but this car will give you the willies when you actually have to drive it. ForTwo needs 14.6 seconds to go from 0-60, which gives you just enough time to make out your will while merging onto the turnpike. (JK!) Actually, this car is solidly built (it has performed well in crash tests), but at 1,800-pounds it has the potential to be knocked around the highway like a pinball if whacked by an SUV. ForTwo is hard to keep composed at high speeds, and city drivers are cursed with a transmission that, according to Consumer Guide’s John Biel, “bogs down at every upshift as if it were a manual being driven by a beginner.”
Dodge Viper (pre-2013)
For the redesigned 2013 Viper, Chrysler’s SRT division added traction control and an antiskid system for the first time. Thank heavens, because the previous iterations were incorrigible monsters—meant for expert drivers who knew how to tame them. Our Viper test drivers prayed for dry weather; otherwise, it would have been a nightmare trying to keep this barely street-legal, 600-horsepower brute on the road. Even on dry, straight surfaces, Viper was no joy to drive. One CG editor said that the car “pitches and buckboards over every possible road surface imperfection,” while another warned that “the Viper coupe afflicts the comfortable with its tight, hot cabin; stiff clutch; and omnipresent din.”
Each year, Consumer Guide Automotive editors test drive and evaluate nearly every vehicle sold in the United States. Together, the editors rate each vehicle 1–10 in the following categories: Acceleration, Fuel Economy, Ride Quality, Steering/Handling/Braking, Quietness, Controls, Details, Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front), Room/Comfort (rear), Cargo Room, and Value Within Class.
The editors add those numbers to produce a total rating score for each vehicle. Below are the total rating scores for all 2012 Subcompact Cars. Click the name of the car for a detailed review of that vehicle. Or simply check out The Consumer Guide to 2012 Subcompact Cars.
1. Nissan Cube
Base MSRP: $14,980; Consumer Guide Rating: 69
2. Kia Soul
Base MSRP: $13,900; Consumer Guide Rating: 67
3. Honda Fit
Base MSRP: $15,175; Consumer Guide Rating: 65
3. Kia Rio
Base MSRP: $13,400; Consumer Guide Rating: 65
5. Hyundai Accent
Base MSRP: $12,445; Consumer Guide Rating: 64
6. Ford Fiesta
Base MSRP: $13,200; Consumer Guide Rating: 63
6. Mazda 2
Base MSRP: $14,370; Consumer Guide Rating: 63
2012 Subcompact Car Buying Guide
2012 Chevrolet Sonic
Are you in the market for a subcompact car? If so, you owe it to yourself to check out The Consumer Guide to 2012 Subcompact Cars. On one Web page, we list all the cars available in that class, providing pricing, fuel-economy numbers, and brief descriptions of each car. The 2012 subcompact class includes the Chevrolet Sonic, Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Kia Soul, Mazda 2, Mitsubishi i, Nissan Cube, Scion iQ, Scion xD, Smart ForTwo, Suzuki SX4, and Toyota Yaris. Be sure to buy the subcompact that’s right for you. Read more.
Also, check out our Buying Guides for all other 2012 cars, trucks, SUVs, minivans, and alternative-fuel vehicles. Click here to find the class that interests you.
You may have heard that the 2012 Hyundai Accent retails at just $12,445. But that’s for the manual transmission. If you’re like the vast majority of Americans who don’t drive a stick, the starting price of the manual is irrelevant. What you need to know is the base price of the automatic.
That’s where we come in. We provide you with a list of the 25 Least Expensive 2012 Cars with Automatic Transmission. Check it out!
New Review!
2014 Kia Sorento
Editors
Classic Cars
